25th November 2013 Editor: Jill Varley
business events news Watawieh!
WELCOME to Norfolk Island, extraordinarily beautiful one day, but now a little drizzly. Still, its beauty and its terror shone through as we speed out on Advance 2, Fishing & Cruising’s boat from historic Kingston pitching and rolling through the sea, which we were assured would settle once we got in the lee of Phillip Island. A mass of sea terns circled and called from the crags of the steep island and masked bobbies followed alongside the boat. This journey was a daily work trip through calm seas and rough for some of those twiceconvicted inhabitants on this once remote and brutal penal settlement. History, seabirds, stunning seascapes and rolling green hills, Norfolk is down home friendly. Oncoming cars wave and you wave back as you tootle up and down the along at the 50km/h speed limit, people are curious, ask questions, and free roaming cattle, chickens, ducks and geese act as nature’s grass clippers. There is an amazing serenity and some unique, out of the way venues ideal for corporate retreats. There are bigger places for conferences and some stunning outdoor spaces and when the sun is out, which is more often than the rain, everything sparkles. All in all it’s one hell of an island to visit with the troops. Jill
business events news
info@businesseventsnews.com.au www.businesseventsnews.com.au 1300 799 220
Hooray for Tropical North Qld!
PEPPERS Beach Club in Port Douglas recently hosted the annual Sell TNQ regional showcase, bringing in 29 top PCO’s and meeting planners from across Australia. Participants (pictured) included representatives of MCI Australia, ICMS Australasia, Incentives & Conventions International, Business Retreats Australia, Impact Organisation and CiEvents. The itinerary included a professional cooking class hosted by Peppers Beach Club head chef, Karl Wulf, where they learnt how to prepare a meal replete with local North Queensland produce. Peppers area sales manager, Judd Rabbidge, said delegates gave great feedback on Peppers Beach Club. “The facilities are perfect for small incentive groups and senior executive meetings, and together with our affiliations with local tourism operators we can ensure our guests and clients meet their conferencing objectives,” he said. Sell TNQ also included visits to the Cairns Convention Centre, Sheraton Mirage, QT Port Douglas and the Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa.
33 exhibiting partners took part in the showcase and the group were also treated to a range of local activities including the Flames of the Forest Experience, visiting the Great Barrier Reef courtesy of Quicksilver and meeting some of the hungry locals at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.
What to do for dinner INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group has released the second in its series of Insider Guides, with this edition giving tips for the “perfect business dinner”. Collating the best of IHG insider knowledge as well as industry perspectives, the 28 page manual includes “the five essential ingredients that need to be taken into consideration when planning, hosting or attending a business dinner”. It includes practical tips as well as do’s and don’ts that take into account cultural nuances in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. There’s advice on the various ways of greeting, general rules of conversation and the value that people place on gifts and attire in different countries. The InterContinental Insider Guide to the Perfect Business Dinner, which also includes advice from local business professionals plus event specialists and InterContinental concierges, will be available in IHG hotels and resorts across Australia.
Blurring the lines
PULLMAN says it’s reinventing meetings with the introduction of the Business Playground, a room created by designer Mathieu Lehanneur. Reflecting the brand’s “Work hard, Play hard” motto the room combines performance and pleasure with a fresh take on the traditional aspects of a meeting. It features a poker-table style meeting table, a private area for informal conversations or breaks, and a cabinet of curiosities – all designed to stimulate creativity and reinvent international hospitality codes. The Pullman London St Pancras is premiering the room this month before it is gradually rolled out across the network next year.
WIN NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON TICKETS This week, BEN and Pinnacle Films are every day giving one lucky winner the chance to win a double pass to the new movie, Night Train to Lisbon, due for release on 5th December. After a chance encounter with a Portuguese woman, Swiss professor Raimund Gregorius quits his job and embarks on an adventure to Lisbon that will take him on a journey to the very heart of himself. Check out the trailer here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9Ds5L7qS85s. To win, be first person to email the correct answer to the daily question below to:
comp@businesseventsnews.com.au.
What country is Jeremy Irons’ character from? Page 1